Barnsley v Hull City: View From T'Other Side Part Two

After a good first season in the Championship last term, what's gone so terribly wrong this year?

A number of things have gone wrong this season, just after the end of last season it looked like Taylor wanted to go, which he did leaving for Crystal Palace after a interview with Charlton as well. So you could say it all went wrong before the season even started. Who ever came in to take over would have had to live up to what was left by Taylor's time at the club. Parkinson was a name on many people's lips after what he achieved at Colchester. Rumoured to have been interviewed for a number of higher jobs in the summer, Parkinson agreed to come to Hull, before compensation was even agreed with Colchester. A long and dragged out compensation row with Colchester damaged pre-season training. It wasn't until Adam Pearson agreed to pay £400k to Colchester to end the saga.

Parkinson came in with bright ideas and new promising players; he had a few gaps to plug when Leon Cort left for Palace for £1.25m. He brought in Michael Turner from Brentford for £300k. He also went on to spend around £2.5m on new players, Dean Marney -£500k, David Livermore - £300k, Sam Ricketts £350k, Michael Bridges £350k, Nicky Forster £300k.

The start of the season didn't go as we planned, but we saw what Parkinson was trying to do. The football was attacking and brilliant at times, but you have to take into account, 70% of these players have played the same way under Peter Taylor for 4 and a half years, with fantastic success! A point at Wba is what we deserved, we should of won at home against Barnsley, but didn't. After then, we went abit more defensive. It didn't work, the fans knew he needed time, and he was given time.

Early November the manager and chairman had a meeting, and assistant manager Frank Barlow and fitness coach Stuart Ayles was sacked due to the poor start to the season. Fans started to talk, and all we could come up with was it was cheaper to get rid of them two instead of the manager. Phil Brown was brought in as assistant manager and all thought about the same thing.

Next manager in waiting.

It wasn't until till early December did the fans get on his back. Players didn't seem to want to play for him, and after a 5-1 defeat to Colchester and a 4-2 defeat at home to Southampton, Parkinson was gone. Brown took over, and a number of managers interviewed for the job, Iain Dowie was offered the position but refused, we also believe Gary Megson was offered the job, but nothing was even announced because of unrest with some of the fans, and since then Phil Brown has helped us climb the table, we'd been in good form up until defeats at home to Leeds and WBA, but a good point at Derby has got us back on track.

Like ourselves you appointed someone within the club to take over albeit somebody with more experience than ours. Has Phil Brown impressed?

Phil Brown has impressed, not just the fans, the players. He likes to play a 4-3-3 with the ball 4-4-2 without the ball and we have picked up a lot of points from this. On the first day of him taking over, he told the players to call him Brownie until they thought he deserved to be called Gaffer, now he is called Gaffer all the time by the players, the players have nothing but praise for his hard work and training routines. The fans always thought he would get the job if Parkinson left, something had to be done, if we had had the same form over the last 10 games as we have had in the first 10 I believe we wouldn't be in this situation right now. The fans know we have come a long way in a short number of years, that's why everyone is behind the whole team and club.

So, Phil Parkinson. One season wonder or promising manager?

It is unfair to call Parkinson a one season wonder as he had done a very good job at Colchester for 3 seasons on a shoe string budget. As in recent times we have seen managers from smaller clubs come to our club and have a lot of money to spend. All have failed except for Peter Taylor yet even some of his buys have been shocking. Parkinson has some very good ideas and I'm sure he will get back into management soon. All the fans at Hull felt sorry for him as he moved all his family up north and took time to settle. Its like at any other club, the manager is cheaper to sack them the players. I think the players planned to get rid of him. I wouldn't be surprised if they did because they have played together for nearly 4 years. Parkinson is a very good manager, just look at Colchester right now, all Geraint Williams had to do wasplay the same team, same tactics.

Jonny Parkin started his career at Oakwell but as a defender, does he look like inflicting more misery on his hometown club?

At the moment no. He injured his ankle early December, but he hasn't seemed to have got his spring back that he had early season. He hasn't played bad, just abit below his standard. We will see on Tuesday, there always is a unwritten rule in former players scoring against a old club.

The Reds stormed back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at the KC at the start of the season have the Tigers become more solid since?

We have become a lot more solid since that game. If you look at our goal difference it shows we have the best out of the bottom 5, a better goal difference than the bottom 3 which can count as a extra point. To be 2-0 up against Barnsley, then lose 3-2 was a big shock to the system which made Parkinson change his tactics over the next 14 or so games. I honestly don't believe you deserved to win that game, but we threw it away, you took advantage, I just hope we can get our own back at Oakwell on Tuesday.

Alot of Barnsley fans see this game as win or bust for us, would you class it like that for Hull?

Simple answer is no. If we haven't had the form over the last 2 months we would have been in an even worse position then the bottom 3 at the moment. I believe we can get something from the game on Tuesday, as long as we don't lose I'll be happy. I'd take a point, but a win would be even better, but like Leeds we are favourites to win the game, and we ended up losing against Leeds, if we had won they would have been nearly down, yet I believe if you lose you could still stay up, over the last month, I think our form has dragged 2 more teams into the fight.

We tried to nab Dean Windass last season without success, who will be Hulls dangermen on Tuesday along with the wily veteran?

I never saw Dean Windass play in his first spell for the club because I was too young, I think when he returned people was expecting the old Deano, yet he is 12 years older then his first spell. His passion for the club is first class; he is still a smart player with good touches.

I would say Nick Barmby even at 33 is a threat to any team in this division, but he is currently injured at the moment, he brings smart movement to the attack, but this is where Ray Parlour will come in. Making his debut against Derby, could of scored and made some class passes for players above this level! He will trouble any defence in this division. Boaz Myhill when on form could be one of the best keepers in this division he will do is all to try and keep everything out and with Delaney and Turner now playing excellent in centre of defence, it makes it even harder.

Who are you most worried about in the Barnsley ranks?

Nardiello and Ferenczi. Everyone knows what Nardiello can do, but he was sent off at weekend, so I'm not sure if he can play. I'm abit worried about Ferenczi because I know nothing about the guy. Things that you don't know can strike fear into you.

Where do you reckon both teams will finish this season?

I honestly reckon we can stay up, up till the last 2 home game defeats we was and had been the form team out of the bottom 5 for 8 games. Everyone has to lose now and again, lets just hope we can go on another 8 game run. It's weird, I don't know where you will finish, if you kept Ritchie I would of said you would stay up without a doubt, but listening to Radio Sheffield on Saturday, the fans want Davey out now! I think if the fans get behind the team I reckon you will stay up and QPR, Southend and Leeds will go down. Leeds because they cant put a run of results together, they're hot and cold, the fans expect which always puts you at a disadvantage. Southend because of the run at the start of the season to send them down to the end of the table and QPR because of the form and some fans starting to question the manager.

And finally a score for Tuesday?

Whatever score I say will come back and bite me in the arse. I would be happy with a draw, a win would be perfect. If I was to say a draw it'd be 2-2, if I'd say a win 3-1 to us. That's if you don't get your defence sorted out!